The focus of the NIH Animal Genetic Resource (NIHAGR) is the development of new animal models for the biomedical research community utilizing classical genetic techniques backed up with molecular genetic procedures. The work has resulted in a relatively large number of new models which have proven to be valuable for studies exploring the factors that influence the immune system in dealing with a variety of infectious as well as tumor development processes, studying the interrelationships between obesity and hypertension in the rat and how it interacts with the development of Insulin Independent Diabetes Mellitus (IIDM), and for (rat models) studying chemical addiction in humans.